Internal-combustion engine



c. R. B OHANNON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 21 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 &

imme/Mom [7/01 ifs/53501917101011.

(3.. R BOHANNON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Qw c luwm a Patented Sept. 4, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. BOHANNCN, OF HIGHLAND'PARK, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOB OF ONE HALF To GUYI}. WATSON, F HIGHLAND PAR-K, KENTUCKY.

, INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filedApril 2.1, 1921. Serial No. 463,242.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known thatI, CHARLES R. BOHANNGN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Highland Park, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in In ternal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and has special reference to the valve mechanism for controlling thefiow of fuel to and from the cylinders of the engine and has for its object the provision of a simple, inexpensive and compactv mechanism whereby a single valve will control the charging and exhaust from all the cylinders and will also regulate its own lubrication. Another object of theinvention is to provide a structure in which the combustion chambers of all the cylinders will be located in a single casting or member which will also contain the controlling valve, and a further objectof the invention is to provide a rotary valve in which. a single port '25 will control both the intake and exhaust from any one cylinder. These several ob-' jects and other objects which will incidentally appear in the course of the following description are attained in such a mechanism as is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 2

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a'vertioal longitudinal ,'sec tion through a motorembodying my invention Fig. 2 is a transverse section onthe line 2.-2 of Flg. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar section taken through one of the cylinders' a The invention is illustrated as applied to a four-cycle engine I in which the several cylinders 1, 2, 3, and 4c are formed in a single cylinderblock and a single head 5 extends over all the cylinders. The cylinder block is provided at its upper end with lateral flanges 6 and the head is secured upon the block by cap screws, or bolts 7 inserted upwardlythrough the flange into the head as shown in Figs, 2 and 3, a packing or gasket 8 of any suitable material being interposed between the surfaces of thehead and the block, as will be readily understood. A'series of combustion chambers 9 is formed inthe lower side of the head corresponding in number and location with the several cylinders and adapted to register accurately therewith when the head is placed in position, and it will be noted more particularly upon referenceto Fig. 3 that each combustion chamber is expanded laterally somewhat, as shown at 10, whereby a large chamber is produced and, consequently, an ample charge for the successful operation of the motor may be accommodated. The walls of the combustion chamber converge upwardly to a port 11 which admits the inflowing charge and also provides for the escape of the burnt gases, said port 11 being preferably disposed centrally although it may sometimes be found desirable to place it nearer one side of the combustion chamher. The head 5 is also constructed internally with conduits 12 and 13 which are connected, respectively, with the intake-and exhaust manifolds and also communicate respectively throughports 14: and 15 with a central longitudinal bore or passage in which the. valve 16 is rotatably mounted. The head is, of course, provided with internal walls or partitionsl'? which definethe sides of the several. combustion chambers,

' as well as the tops thereof, andalso furnish the seat or lower support- 18 for the valve 16, suitable voids 19 being provided in the head and in the walls of the several cylinders to form a water jacket. Upon referring more particularly to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the horizontal longitudinal Wall or inner partitionlS is concave in its upper side so as to provide a suitable bearing for the valve, and between the several ports 11 of adjacent cylinders recesses or cavities 20 are provided in this seat 18 to be filled with felt or similar material; as indicated at 21;, to hold a'lubricant and apply the same to the surface of the valve in such quantities as will-insure. easy rotation of the valve without waste of the lubricant. A cap plate 22 is secured on the longitudinal partition or seat 18 and extends over the valve so as to hold the valve to its seat, a gasket being interposed between the seat and the edge portions ofthe cap to prevent leakage and the cap being secured in place by cap screws or bolts 24, as shown. The said cap plate is provided with recesses or grooves 25 in its side edges and packing 26 is driven into said recesses after the cap -is placed in position'so that leakage will be prevented. A'packing retaining plate 27 is placed upon the side flanged port-ions of the cap and extends over the packing so to prevent expansion 01 the same and t iese plates 27 are held in position by the cap screws or bolts 24-. A cover plate 28 is secured upon the head and extends the full length thereol above and in spaced relation to the cap 22, the space between this cover plate and the cap constitutin a portion of the water-circulating systein. it any Convenient point oi? the cover plate 25, a pipe or hose may be secured so as to establish coinniunication "h the radiator.

The valve 16 consists oi a-bai' or rod of ircular cross section having a trunnion 30 at one end rotatably titted in the adjacent end of the head and equipped with a reduced stud or lug 3i wherebv it may be coupled with the gusto. At the opposite end of the valve is a trunnion 32 upon which the timing ear is secured and this gear and the tri-inuion curryi housed. within the gear casing An adjusting screw 35 is ountcd in the adjacent outer wall of the gear casing l has its inner end engaged in a seat 36 i in the end oi the trun on 52 whereby the valve may be readily at Ell in an obvious man nor, a lock nut 37 being provide to retain the screw in an acjusted pos .1 in. lhe lubricant is supplied to the valve chamber and the valve by a pump (not shown) in the manner uov. onerally employed and is do livercd illPOSlL i to be recci red by an annular groove 38 rined in the surface of the valve the end thereof adjacent the trunnion 3O packingili) or elt or siniila n rte rial being interposc between said end oi the valve and the adpicent end Oil the head and below the valve so as to prevent excessive flow of the lubricant. A radial port or passage a0 leads from one point of the groove 38 through the valve into the central here ll thereof and the lubricant flows through the said port into said here and then longitudinally through the valve, other radial ports 4-2 being provided at intervals in the valve to permit some of the lubricant to flow to the several pads 21 in the lubring it are thorough lubrication oi the valve and also guard against flow of the lubricant into the cylinders. The bore -11, as shown clearly 'n Fig. l, is closed at its receiving end, except for the adjacent port 10, but at the opposite end of the valve the said here is open and communicates directly with a passage 48 in the end of the adjusting screw 35 whereby the excess lubricant may return through the gear case to the crank case of the motor and thence through the lubri eating system, as will be readily understood.

In the circular surface of the valve, 1 form a plurality of ports or recesses ll reeeyee which correspond in number to the cylinders of the motor and are spaced about the valve both longitudinally and annularly so that the admission to and exhaust from the several cylinders will occur in the proper sequence. Each recess, channel, or port as is preferably equal in length to the length oi the port ll with which it cooperates and in width covers about onethird of the circumference of the valve, the intake and exhaust ports 14; and being disposed at the sides of the valve at diametrically opposite points and slightly below the axis thereof, as shown clearly in Fig. '3. The valve rotates at about one-half the speed of the crank shaft and in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 which shows the valve in the position assumed just after the eX- haust from the the cylinder has been conipleted and just prior to the admission or" another charge. it vill be readily noted that in this position of the valve, the port A- extends over the port l1 o the cornbustion chamber and the unznu ated portion of the surface of the valve extends over both ports 14 and 15. As the valve rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow thereon in Fig. 8 the i orwari'l longitudinal wall 01" the port will clear the lower wall of the port is and fuel will then begin to flow through the port 41- andthe port 11 into the combustion chamber and the cylinder. This flow will continue until the rear longitudinal wall of the port all clears the port 11, whereupon the continued flow will be cutoff and the unniutilated portion of the surface of the valve will extend owe the port 11 so that said port will be closed, The piston of the engine will then make its compression stroke and also its power stroke, while the unznutilated portion of the valve covers the port and the port iii, tie charge being fired in the usual manner by a spark plug which may be located at any convenient point oi the combustion chamber. The spark plug may be of any well-known type operating in. the usual manner and as it forms no part of my present invention I have deenied its illustration unnecessary. As the engine piston reaches the end oi its power stroke and begins its return inovenient or exhaust stroke, the ad: once longitudinal wall or the port +4; will begin to move over the port 11 so that communication will be established l etween the said port and the exhaust port 15 and the exhaust gases will then be permitted to escape in an obvious manner, the completion of the exhaust stroke bringing the valve back to the position shown in From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided very simple. compact and easily operated valve, whereby a single valve will control the admission to and exhaust from all the cylinders of the motor'and it will, of course, be understood that while I have shown a motor containing four cylinders, the invention is applicable without material 7 change in structure to a motor having any number of same and also reduces the cost of maintenance and by reason of its easeoi operation more of the power generated is utilized for driving the machinery to which the motor is connected than has been possible with other constructions. i

Having thus described the invention,what is claimed as new is: I

1. Lhe combination of a cylinder block containing a cylinder, a head detachably secured upon said block and containing partitions defining a combustion chamber communicating with said cylinder, the head being provided with a port and a seat in the partitions at the upper end 01": the combustion chamber and with intake and exhaust ports .at opposite sides of the combustion chamber, a rotary valve mounted longitudinally in the head and resting in said seat and provided with a single recess in its surface .adapted to establish communication between the combustion chamber and either the intake or the exhaust port, and a cap plate secured longitudinally on the head across. the intake and exhaust ports and resting upon thevalve to hold the'same to its seat,

cation between the combustion chamber and either the intakeor the exhaust port, a cap plate fitting over said valve to hold the same to its seat and secured upon some of the partitions in the head and co-terminous with the head, anda cover plate secured upon the head above and in spaced relation to the said cap plate, the space between the cover plate and the cap plate being open and forming a part of the water-circulating system and permitting withdrawal of the cap plate when the cover plate is removed.

3. The combination of a cylinder block, a

head detachably secured upon the block and containing combustion chambers communicating with the respective cylinders in the cylinder block and having partitions defining said combustion chambers, all' said partitions being provided in their upper sides with recesses between the combustion chambers,absorbent fillers'in said recesses, a

rotary valve mounted longitudinally in the. head and resting upon the said partitions and provided with radial ports arranged to communicate with the respective recesses in the said partitions, a longitudinal bore in surfaces, a rotary valve mounted longitudinally in the head and extending over'the said recesses and the several combustion chambers, sald valve belng provided at one end witha trunnion journaled in the adjacent end of the head and at its opposite end with a trunnion having a socket in its extremity, the valve being provided with an axial bore closed at the first-mentioned end thereof and opening through the secondmentioned trunnion and with radial ports arranged to establish communication between said bore and the several recesses, and an adjusting screw engaging the socketed extremity of the second-mentioned trunnion and provided with a passage establishing a discharge from the adjacent end of the bore in the valve.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder block containing cylinders, ahead detachably secured upon the cylinder block and constructed with com bustion chambers communicating with the respective cylinders, a rotary valve seated longitudinally in the head and having an axial bore closed at one end, a radial port leading into said bore at the closed end of the valve and radial ports leading from the bore to the valve seat, and an adjusting screw engagingand supporting the valve at the .open end of the bore and provided with a passage establishing a discharge from the bore.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES R. BOHANNON. [n 5. 

